Fed busy bodies looking at national speed limit
Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to look into what speed limit would provide optimum gasoline efficiency given current technology. He said he wants to know if the administration might support efforts in Congress to require a lower speed limit.
Congress in 1974 set a national 55 mph speed limit because of energy shortages caused by the Arab oil embargo. The speed limit was repealed in 1995 when crude oil dipped to $17 a barrel and gasoline cost $1.10 a gallon.
Things like this just get my blood pressure up. The federal government shouldn’t even have the authority to implement a national speed limit.
I just started driving about the time the previous one was repealed. I’m sure someone could tell me how they justified imposing the limit on the states, but I would guess that it was done by threatening to withhold federal funds from states that didn’t comply.
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I can’t drive 55…
What the bozos in DC don’t consider is the time savings of we poor schlubs who don’t ride in private jets. My recent 360 mile trip would take a little less than 7 hours at 55 mph versus a little more than 5 hours at 70 mph.
I fart in Senator Warner’s general direction…